Horse-tail holder



(No Model.)

J. G. SWAIN HORSE TAIL HOLDER.

No. 353,608. Patented N0v. 30, 1886.

WITNESSES:

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NIT-ED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH G. SWAIN, OF MARTINSVILLE, INDIANA.

HORSE-TAIL HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,608, dated November30, 1886.

Application filed August 27, 1886. Serial No. 211,984. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

I Be it known that I, JOSIAH G. SWAIN, of the city of Martinsville,county of Morgan, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tail-Holders, of which the following is aspecification. The object of my said invention is to pro vide atail-holder for use with horses and other driving animals, which, whilepermitting the animal to use the tail forthe purpose of brushing flies,will effectually prevent him from getting it over the lines, and whichwill also be practically invisible when in use, thus overcoming thegreat objection to other tailholders in that they either prevent theanimal from using his tail at all or, from the nature of theirconstruction, present an unsightly appearance.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure1 is a view showing one of my improved tail-holders in use; Fig. 2, aview of a. horse with one of said holders on, showing more clearly itsoperation; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the holder separately, andFigs. 4. and 5 detail views showing modifications in the construction.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represents the crupper of theharness; B, the breaching, and O my improved tail-holder.

The crupper A and breeching B are or may be of any ordinaryconstruction, and need no further description herein.

The holder 0 consists of a straight piece or strap adapted to fitagainst the under side of the animals tail, as shown. At its top it isprovided with a loop, 0, by which it is connected to the crupper of theharness, and at its lower end with a strap, 0, of sufficient length toform a loop around the breeching, its end being secured in a buckle, 0,attached thereto near its upper end. Transverse straps are secured tothe strap 0, one at each end, and are of sufficient length to passaround the tail and secure said tail to said part 0.

The use and operation of my said invention are as follows: It isattached to the crupper by passing said crupper through the loop 0 atits top end, and the strap 0 is then passed around the breeching andsecured in the buckle c, as before described, forming a large loop,which will slide freely on the breeching, as will be readily understood.The straps G are then buckled around the tail, the hair being raised upat such places, and then smoothed down over said straps after they arebuckled in position. Thus the hair of the tail will effectually cover upall parts of the holder except the strap 0, and said strap will also beordinarily secured from view by the tail, except when looking from theside.

In operation, the horse, as will be readily seen, has a free swing ofhis tail sidewise, but is not permitted to raise it high enough tointerfere with the lines, and thus a wellknown great annoyance indriving is obviated, without depriving the animal of a necessity to hisown comfort; and as the parts can all be made very light and small andthe device supported from the crupper, it does not mar the appearance ofthe tail or injure it in any manner.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in the manner of attaching thestrap 0 to the breeching B, a ring, B, being shown as mounted andadapted to slide on said breeching, (or on a separate slide attached tothe breeching,) into which a snap, 0 provided on the lower end of saidstrap, will engage.

In Fig. 5 I show one end of the loop 0 formed to buckle to the underside of the strap 0, which construction or a similar one will benecessary where whole cruppers are used, as will be readily understood.

I am aware that tail-holders havebeen heretofore made to be supportedfrom the crupper, to be attached to the tail and rigidly secured to thebreeching; but I am not aware that any tail-holder has ever been securedto the breeching to have a free sliding movement thereon, and this Iregard as the most important feature of my invention in giving it thedesired operation,and expressly limit myself to a tail-holder soconstructed.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tail-holder for horses constructed at its upper end with means forattachment to the harness and to the animals tail, and at its lower endprovided with a large loop adapted to surround and slide'freely upon theIn witness whereof I have hereunto set my breerhing of the harness,substantially as set hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, thisforth. 23d day of August, A. D. 1886.

2. The combination of the crupper A,breech- 5 ing B, and holder 0,composed of the loop 0- JOSIAH G. SWAIN. [L. s] at its top, the straps 0and the large 100p Cv at its lower end,which surrounds said breech- I Inpresence ofing and is adapted to slide freely thereon, all e E. W.BRADFORD, substantially as shown and described, and for CHARLES L.THURBER.

10 the purposes specified. I

